Proactive Investors - BT (LON:BT) and Virgin Media have been warned over their roll-out of fast fibre broadband after a rise in incidents where elderly people’s “telecare” help devices were cut off.
Previously, telecare alarms automatically called a response centre via a landline when pressed by the wearer. Operators can then call back and see if more assistance is required.
In several cases, however, telecare devices now hooked up by digital lines have stopped working either through power cuts or the internet failing.
Old-style, copper-based lines don’t have this problem.
John Whittingdale, the Minister for Digital Infrastructure, told MPs last week that there had been a rising number of incidents “despite the assurances that we were given by communications operators”.
Network (LON:NETW) operators including Sky, O2, TalkTalk as well as BT and Virgin Media O2, have now agreed in writing not to switch people onto digital lines without first checking that telecare devices will continue to work.
BT said it would be temporarily freezing its rollout of digital phone lines for all “non-voluntary” switches of elderly and disabled customers who use telecare devices.
Virgin Media said: “In line with the agreed commitments, we have paused switchovers as we review our processes to further support consumers, building on the range of measures that we already have in place.”
BT and Virgin Media are currently embarking on a huge switchover of all their customers to fast fibre broadband by 2025, but despite assurances that vulnerable groups will not be exposed to risk problems have cropped up repeatedly.
Silver Voices, a senior citizens charity, recently said:“The deadline of 2025 for the removal of all copper landlines is untenable as the measures to support vulnerable customers have still not been developed.
“There is no reason why the two systems should not work in parallel for at least five years so that everyone continues to have access to a reliable landline.”
Lucy Baker, of BT’s consumer division, told the Telegraph: “For those who use telecare, we will only switch them to digital voice where we, the telecare provider or the customer can confirm their service is compatible and functions using a digital landline.”